Car Cleaning Kit
Reading Time: 32 minutes We provide a guide here to help you find the best car cleaning kit for your money by featuring a few key choices.
Car cleaning kit is available in an incredible range of brands, types, and styles, from headlight restoration kit to car detailing kit, to car valeting kit for cleaning your vehicle’s exterior and interior.
Choosing the best kit for your needs can be a bit overwhelming, but these tips will help you select the best for your car and lifestyle. You will find everything from the most basic wash & rinse products, to the most advanced cleaning products for detailing your car to a showroom finish.
We’ll explore the different options available to help you make an informed choice about which type is right for you and your car.
Types of Car Cleaning Kit
There are several types to choose from. Some are more affordable than others, and some may be more convenient than others depending on your needs.
Some kits are meant for occasional use, while others are intended for daily use. Some may be better for sensitive surfaces than others. Some come with a variety of supplies, while others may only come with one or two things. Depending on your needs, one may be better than another.
You can find cleaning kits that include everything you need to detail your car or a kit that includes a few essentials. It’s up to you to decide what you need to keep your car looking great.
Car cleaning kits come in various price ranges. You can find a basic one for less than £20, or you can find a deluxe bundle of products for more than £100. The price may vary based on the quality of the kit’s materials or the value of the included products.
In this post, we will compare the different types of kits so that you can choose the one that best suits your needs. We will also describe the pros and cons so that you can explore other alternatives.
Headlight restoration kit
Restore your car’s headlights for brighter light and safer driving with a headlight restoration kit.
The kit you can buy for restoring headlights takes the cleaning process beyond a simple “skin deep” clean and gets into the material itself, in this case polycarbonate headlight lenses, to remove damage and restore your car headlights to a near showroom finish.
Over the years, a car’s headlight plastics become oxidised and cloudy thanks to being exposed to the elements, with some headlights becoming yellowed. This can be quite hazardous as it limits the light from your headlights making it harder to see and be seen on dark roads at night.
Most of the time, although it seems like it’d be a really expensive fix, a headlight restoration kit is all you need to bring back the clear shine to an old set of headlights and make them pretty close to ‘good as new’.
It’s easy to reverse this dulling with a headlight restoration kit. Restoration kits work by sanding back and polishing out the tiny scratches and cloudy marks in your headlights, usually with supplied drill attachments and various compounds to apply at different stages, finishing with a UV treatment to protect the headlights for longer against the elements.
Car Wash Kit
What is a car wash kit?
A car wash kit is generally an all-round DIY kit that gives a great finish whilst remaining affordable and with products that don’t require any formal training to use.
A car wash kit will offer you a selection of treatments for individual parts of the car, so you’d have body wash, body wax, wheel cleaner, tyre cleaner, interior cleaner, glass cleaner and so on.
Car wash kit is a great value way to give your beloved car some TLC in a cost effective way that won’t leave you tied up all day working on it.
Types of Car Wash Kit
There are many different car wash kits available from interior kits to exterior kits to kits that clean and protect both the inside and outside of your car
All-in-one car wash kit
An all-in-one car wash kit is one that comprises a mixture of products to clean the exterior and interior of your car. These kits are very convenient to use, and most of them come with a detailed instruction manual on how to use each product to get the best results.
Exterior car wash kit
Some car wash kits are for the car’s exterior and focus solely on dirt removal and cleaning your car’s exterior surfaces. These can vary from a simple one-bottle-does-it-all approach to multi-bottle car wash kits that contain multiple product to clean and shine your car more thoroughly, over a series of applications.
Interior car wash kit
These car wash kits are for your dashboard, your windows, windscreen and interior plastics with some even providing kit for your car’s upholstery. Depending on the type of kit you go for, you can have a simple kit for the basics or larger kits for a more complete clean.
There are also special kits that are designed for specific types of cars like sports cars or SUVs. Once you decide what type of kit you need, you can then choose the one that best suits your car. Depending on your car’s make and model, some kits might be better than others, but there is sure to be at least one that will work for your car.
Once you have decided on the kit that you would like to purchase, it is important that you know how to use it correctly to get the best results.
All-in-one Aero Cosmetics Complete Car Care Kit – Wash, Wax, Clean
- Wash & Wax: Gently cleans and protects all vehicle surfaces, leaving a non-stick UV protective coating.
- Plastic & Rubber Treatment: Aircraft-grade Rubber treatment and conditioner that restores and protects all Rubber and Plastics.
- Interior cleaner that cleans carpet, Seats, Leather and Vinyl
6x Drill Brush Kit – Clean your Car Interior and Exterior Effortlessly
Clean, scrub and wash with this brush kit from Drill Brush. The brush shafts are made of rugged steel and are compatible with half-inch drills, three-eighths drills, and quick-change drivers.
Car Detailing Kit
A car detailing kit is a selection of products that get right into every nook and cranny to bring out the shine and a superior, professional finish.
Car detailing kits come with a range of accessories to get into every car cleaning chore from vacuuming to deep cleaning carpets. With a car detailing kit, you can transform your car from a regular ride that gets ignored whenever you’re in a hurry to a gleaming chariot that turns heads wherever it rolls by.
With a car detailing kit, you can clean, polish, wax, and protect your vehicle so that it looks almost new again and has a shine that lasts longer than regular car wash products.
Watch: Car Detailing 101
Walkthrough the basic steps to detailing a car like a pro in this introductory video from Ceramic Pro
Car Detailing Kits usually come with a variety of different products that can be used on your car, truck, or SUV. Depending on the type of detailing kit you buy, you can expect it to come with a car wash soap, a car wax, a clay bar cleaner, a dashboard cleaner, a tire shine, a car polish, a car sealant, a car stain remover, and more. Most of these products come in a liquid or gel form, and you can use them on any type of car, truck, or SUV.
DIY Car Detailing
Car detailing is a large hobby industry, with many petrolheads becoming interested in the pursuit of the perfect finish for their cars and vans.
It doesn’t matter if you have a classic old banger or a brand new supercar, you can learn how to detail your car to improve the look and value of your pride and joy.
With a detailed car, you will be able to get more for it if you ever decide to sell it. You may even get more attention from people who admire your car and enjoy the attention as well as the extra value of your detailed car.
Trade Pro Car Detailing
Car detailing is also a professional trade, with many highly skilled car detailers throughout the country able to transform your car from dirty to dreamy using expert techniques and trade quality tools.
A good car detailer will be able to assess your car and its condition, and then work with you to determine a course of action.
They will likely start with a thorough cleaning of your car, removing any grime or dirt from the exterior and vacuuming any debris from the interior of your car. Next, they may use tools like a clay bar or a chemical cleaner to remove contaminants from your paintwork.
They may then use a variety of different products and techniques to make your car shine, including applying sealants or waxes to provide a protective layer to your paintwork.
Finally, a good car detailer will also provide advice on how to keep your car looking great for as long as possible, such as advising you on how often to wash your car to keep it clean and avoid contaminated areas.
What is car detailing?
Car detailing is not just about cleaning, it is also about protecting the car’s exterior and the paint job from the elements.
For those who want the best shine and protection, car detailing is the best option. The detailing process usually involves shampooing the carpets, cleaning the fabric seats, and steam cleaning the leather seats.
All wheels and rims are polished to a mirror shine, and all exterior plastic and rubber parts are detailed with a cleaner to make them look brand new again. In addition, the car’s engine is cleaned, detailed and protected with a coating.
The process of car detailing is best done by professionals, as they know and understand each car’s unique characteristics as well as the best brands of cleaner to use for specific tasks on specific materials in specific cars.
The cost of detailing a car varies greatly depending on the level of detail desired as well as the type of car.
It is also a learned skill, so if you’re looking into a car detailing kit to upgrade your car cleaning kit, be prepared to spend a lot of time researching and learning materials and techniques, tools and tricks of the trade.
Alternatively, if you want that Showroom Shine without the hassle, search for a car detailing professional in your area. You’d be surprised how many are around and stunned at the results some can achieve.
60+ Ratings
Pure Definition Car Detailing Kit
Remove the difficult scratches that are hindering you from achieving a new showroom shine and restore the condition of both the interior and exterior of your vehicle. Pure Definition has created an all-in-one exterior and interior kit to help you achieve a pristine, showroom finish.
Car Valeting Kit
A car valeting kit is an interior cleaning kit for the perfect finish inside your vehicle. Car valeting kits sometimes come with tools, otherwise, they are just the cleaning solutions themselves.
Car valeting kits are essential for keeping your car’s interior looking as good as new. Neglecting the cleaning of your car’s interior can lead to an unpleasant odour, discolouration, and even the growth of bacteria. When driving around with a messy car, you risk lowering the esteem of those around you – not to mention the poor condition of your car itself. A car valeting kit will make sure that your car always looks its best.
Car valeting kits usually require additional tools such as wet vacs to work effectively
Car valeting kit provides upholstery cleaners, glass cleaners, air fresheners and dashboard dressing to give you a comprehensive selection that brings your car interior up to near showroom standard if you’re prepared to put in the time.
What is Car Valeting?
Car valeting is the process of cleaning and polishing a vehicle’s interior to produce a showroom-quality finish.
It can be performed by hand or using automated machines, and it typically involves the use of specialised cleaning products and equipment. Valeting services can be provided by professional companies or by the vehicle owner themselves.
There are several benefits to valeting your car:
Valeting your car means spending time carefully cleaning yourself, or entrusting it to a professional. Many people choose to do this because they don’t have the time or inclination to do it themselves and because they want to ensure their car is in good condition.
Like with most jobs that you could technically do yourself, a professional car valeting service will likely prove more convenient and end up costing you less than doing it yourself. The benefit of going for a professional car valet is you can save yourself the time doing the job and the cost, but if you’re a detail-oriented person with an eye for things just as you like them, investing in some car valeting kit will give you an enormous choice of products to try and a whole host of new skills to learn.
Car Cleaning Kit: An expansive market
The world of car cleaning kit is an expansive market, as you’d expect with so many vehicles on the road. Car cleaning kit has come a long way from the days of being just a quick sponge and bucket affair on a Sunday afternoon. These days there are loads of brands with fantastic products available to cater for everyone from the all-in-one quick cleaner to the most detail conscious of car enthusiasts.
It was once the preserve of car nerds but these days, many more everyday folks are passionate about keeping their beloved vehicles looking fresh and shiny, to which brings us the world of car detailing becoming an almost DIY pursuit, with car owners flocking to the profession to try and emulate or keep going that just detailed shine for months after a professional treatment.
It’s is very much mainstream now and the world’s enthusiast car cleaning product manufacturers haven’t been shy about opening up their catalogues to Joe Public, or at least supplying the retail sector with close-to-professional quality versions of their treatments.
Of course, a lot of the magic is in the application which is why car detailing and professional hand cleaning is very popular still, in fact it is growing as well as the home market. Initially it was feared by some that the professional market would be negatively hit but it seems that as interest grows in the products, it too grows in the desire for the job to be done at least once or twice a year by professionals.
Leading Car Cleaning Kit Brands
Here’s a list of some of the market’s best loved and most well known companies offering products for cleaning, shining, restoration and detailing your vehicle. As with any list other solutions are available but these are our picks for an excellent clean, whatever level you want to take it to:
303 Products
The 303 Products range has been the premium choice for car enthusiasts, avid boaters & homeowners for over 40 years.
3M
At 3M, we are experts in giving you confidence in the quality of your work. From window tinting and the Bondo® brand to car wraps and auto paint, we offer the tools that help protect your reputation. Our car repair, automotive touch-up and car cleaning kit solutions are designed to help you put quality vehicles on the road.
Alchemy
The Alchemy Car Care range of products have been developed by detailers for detailers. Their car cleaning kit products prepare and protect your paint, wheels and car interior.
Angelwax
Angelwax are a small group of industrial chemists who have worked together for over 25 years in the chemical industry. Over the past few years they have been researching, developing and designing an entire range of detailing products for the car cleaning kit industry.
Auto Finesse
Established in 1999, Auto Finesse started their journey into car care as a man, van, and a passion for clean, shiny cars. Channelling 20 years of combined hands on experience into car cleaning kit today they manage each step of the process in house.
Autoglym
Autoglym’s quest for perfection began in 1965 with 8 pioneering car cleaning kit that breathed new life into tired bodywork and wheels. From their original premises in Welwyn Garden City, Autoglym quickly became a trusted name in car cleaning kit, finding a home on shelves across the nation’s car dealerships and garages.
Blo Car Dryer
We offer the best car dryer blower on the market which is the safest way to dry your car. Blo car dryers offer non-contact drying to eliminate swirls and scratches that can happen during a regular touch towel drying method.
Bilt Hamber
Bilt-Hamber Laboratories is the name behind research, innovative chemistry and thorough testing as the way to produce better performing products. EACH product released for sale has been extensively compared to and tested for superiority against market leading and specialist competitive formulations.
Bouncer’s
Premium range of British-made car detailing products and car cleaning kit. Bouncer’s first began blending in 2011. What first became initial trials, turned into a full 6 month research and development process culminating into Bouncer’s providing its first wax ’22’ under the Dodo Juice Independent Wax Label.
Britemax
The Britemax offering includes Interior Products, Polishes & Compounds, External Dressing Solutions, Wax, Car Shampoos, Wheel Cleaners, Iron Remover, Trim Restorer, Ceramic Car Coating, Protection Products, Clay Bar, Accessories and more car cleaning kit.
CarPro
As the leader in car care and ceramic coating nanotechnology in the United Kingdom and around the world, CARPRO strives to offer the most complete line of in-house car cleaning kit for all detailing purposes.
Carbon Collective
Carbon Collective offer a wide range of car cleaning kit for detailing enthusiasts. They are UK based and offer car cleaning kit to clean, polish and protect your vehicle.
Carlack
Pioneering spirit and intensive research in manufacturing premium products for surface care and protection goes into the Carlack product lines for the care and maintenance of automobiles, yachts, aircrafts or industry.
Chemical Guys
At their core, Chemical Guys are a culture of thinkers and makers. They say they are more than just a product company that executes ideas and innovations. “We live and breathe the world we create. Detailing isn’t just something we do; it’s a lifestyle that we live day in, day out and makes us who are we are.”
Collinite
Once a best-kept secret among garage-heads and professionals, Collinite’s automotive products have since emerged via word-of-mouth to become internationally renowned. With signature shine, tough-as-nails protection, and hallmark durability, our proprietary blends may very well be the best polishes and waxes you’ve never heard of.
Dodo Juice
Back in 2007, you either chose mass-market products that offered you average quality ingredients in large bottles at low prices. Or you had your pants pulled down by a ’boutique wax’ company selling you something over-priced and over-marketed in a fancy container.
And then Dodo Juice came along. Today they are a popular car detailing brand offering all sorts of car cleaning kit.
Dr Leather
Having been involved in the leather industry for almost thirty years, Dr. Leather offer products and services to assist tanners, leather related factories, global brands, after-market businesses and consumers in their leather care needs.
EZ Detail Brushes
EZ Detail brushes are the most versatile wash tools ever!
They allow fast and easy access to nooks and crannies without scratching.
You will find hundreds of applications around your garage, shop and home!
Eurow
Eurow & O’Reilly Corporation, a certified woman-owned business, has developed over 30 years to become one of the USA’s largest suppliers of microfibre textiles. Eurow offer a great range of car cleaning kit.
Finish Kare
Finish Kare manufactures a premier line of car cleaning kit that has been an industry favourite since 1964.
Flex
From battery tools with 10.8 and 18 volts to mains machines and matching accessories, from light to heavy duty with the latest brushless technology – FLEX offers the right power tools for numerous applications.
Flexipads
Flexipads are Europe’s largest manufacturer of power tool consumables, offering a massive range of car cleaning kit including automotive sanding, polishing and detailing products.
Gtechniq
Gtechniq was founded by quantum physicist Drew Gill in 2001. Gtechniq smart surface science combines the latest in fields such as nanochemistry and supramolecular chemistry, with rigorous real-world and laboratory testing.
Gyeon
GYEON has always been unique and constantly strives to be a step ahead of the car cleaning kit market, willing to win in every aspect of its business. Their passion and experience keep them on that road. “We never make any compromises. It’s in our DNA. It’s what we call: the GYEON WAY“.
IK Sprayers
IK Sprayers is the brand of the Spraying business of the Goizper Group cooperative aimed at the industrial sectors. Since the foundation of our company, we have offered safe, resistant and innovative products in the most professional segments including Automotive & Car Detailing.
Invisible Glass
Invisible Glass products are produced by Stoner. Stoner products have been trusted by professional automotive detailers and home car cleaning kit experts for decades.
Lake Country Manufacturing
Lake Country Manufacturing is a privately-owned manufacturer of buffing and polishing products for the industrial; paint, body and equipment (PBE); detailing and consumer car cleaning kit markets.
Lilly Brush
Our pets love going for rides but it sure makes a hairy mess of our cars. Lilly Brush has everything you need to remove stubbornly trapped pet hair from every inch of your car’s interior.
MetroVac
Since 1939 MetroVac have been hand crafting vacuum cleaners, blowers, dryers and pumps in the USA using the highest quality domestic and international components available.
Meguiars
Meguiar’s passion for car cleaning kit transcends the research, development, and the manufacturing of high quality, category leading car care products. Their mission is to fuel the passion people have for their cars.
Menzerna
Menzerna has been setting standards in the development and production of professional polishing pastes for industry and trades since 1888. Solid compounds, emulsion, car polish or boat polish – Menzerna has the right polish for all surfaces and every application.
MonsterShine
Every car cleaning product is created and tested (sometimes hundreds of times) before MonsterShine are happy with it. If it’s too smelly, takes too long to work, doesn’t give you long enough to work with it or is dangerous to you or your paintwork, it’s not going to make it as a MonsterShine product. If car care accessories wear out, don’t do the job, or just don’t feel right, they won’t put their name to them.
Mothers
The brand was born over 40 years ago, selling just a single product – its famous 5oz can of Mag and Aluminium Polish. The label was a simple business card strapped around a small metal container with a rubber band. Today, Mothers is one of the largest car care brands in the US with a comprehensive line of products.
NexDiag
NexDiag is a Polish production company whose hallmark is an innovative view of the automotive industry. They manufacture coating thickness measurement devices for professional car detailers and paint shops to measure the lacquer coating on car paintwork.
Optimum Car Care
Optimum Car Care’s mission is to provide superior car cleaning kit and services that enhance the beauty and extend the life of automotive surfaces to maximise value and driving pleasure. Also known as Optimum Polymer Technologies, they strive to offer products that are safe for customers and the environment.
Poorboy’s
Poorboy’s are renowned for brightly-coloured bottles and beautiful scents (their Iron Remover is an acquired taste however!) Poorboy’s car cleaning kit products smell as good as they perform, with scents ranging from sun cream lotion to bubblegum.
P21S
The P21S® Auto Care line stands for “factory approved” car cleaning kit of the highest caliber, made for people who know quality when they see it.
Rupes
RUPES is a family owned and operated company, founded in Milan, Italy in 1947. Since its inception, RUPES’ commitment to product innovation and quality manufacturing has defined the company as a worldwide benchmark manufacturer of professional electric and pneumatic tools, accessory items and vacuum systems.
Scangrip
With the aim of setting new standards for professional work lights, SCANGRIP provides the strongest range of LED work lights that are extremely powerful, functional, user-friendly and designed to fit the rough and demanding working environments.
Scholl Concepts
Headquartered in Remseck, Germany, SCHOLL Concepts GmbH has been catering to the requirements of the car care industry for over 58 years by providing premium, innovative car cleaning kit and maintenance systems for the automotive repair and paint industry.
ShineMate
ShineMate is a Chinese-made car detailing tool that has seen significant uptake in the UK market.
Gliptone
GLIPTONE© car wax has been a New York tradition of quality since 1947. Sold locally, car cleaning kit enthusiasts came to understand that quality ingredients with quality process equal the finest products. As a non-advertised brand, Gliptone’s popularity grew by word of mouth.
Soft99
Soft99 is a legendary Japanese brand of car cleaning kit present on the market for over 65 years. Over the decades, the company has designed solutions that meet not only the current needs, but also respond to the challenges of tomorrow, setting trends in the world of detailing and vehicle care.
Sonax
From compact cars and medium-sized vehicles to luxury cars, from motorsports and the tuning scene to the world of classic cars: SONAX supports all car enthusiasts and experts when it comes to the perfect appearance of vehicles.
Sonus
Sonus are an American car detailing company with a comprehensive range of quality car cleaning kit available from many major retailers of car cleaning products in the UK.
Stjärnagloss
Stjärnagloss is a genuine detailing brand, rather than a new wave pretender or generic scene re-labeller. The ‘Core Four’ products covering wash, polish, protect and maintenance detailing stages are their best known products. They also offer a selection of other products designed to give you the best results possible.
Tuf Shine
Tuf Shine offer a range of tyre dressings that restore your car tyre’s showroom shine and provide a long lasting glossy look. Made in the USA, Tuf Shine products are beloved by tyre detailers worldwide and they are leaders in their field.
Ultima Finish Care
Ultima Finish Care professional strength products clean, polish, protect and restore. Ultima products are concentrated formulas that literally give your vehicle that professional detail look that can last a full season, in a fraction of the time.
Valet Pro
We fuel your car cleaning kit passion and offer you the ability to enhance the appearance of your vehicle, so you feel pride in the results that you can effortlessly achieve. ValetPRO is a trusted brand of choice for trade, retailers, professional detailers and car enthusiasts worldwide
Vertool
VERTOOL® are a leading manufacturer of specialist car cleaning kit and accessories. Designed and developed by detailers to offer the very best performance at affordable prices. So there is no better time to join the revolution, with the VERTOOL® line of car care tools.
Vikan
Vikan manufacture water fed handles and attachments and other car cleaning kit accessories for the car detailing market and professional carwash market. Although predominantly a food hygiene supplies company, their products are widely used and loved for their high quality.
Vonixx
Operating since 2005 and located in Brazil, more precisely in the state of Ceará – the world’s largest producer of carnauba – Vonixx is located in an industrial park with more than 11,200m² and has its own laboratory, in addition to a committed and trained team of car cleaning kit experts.
Wheel Woolies
The creation of Wheel Woolies® by Braun Automotive has raised the standard for detailing brushes. Wheel Woolies are the “safest and most effective way to clean vehicle wheels for the detailing enthusiast”.
Zaino
Zaino is a versatile system of car detailing kits that exceed the expectations of car care enthusiasts worldwide.
Zvizzer
The modern, water-based ZviZZer POLISHING SYSTEM has been designed for a wide range of paint-specific applications.
Zymol
Zymol are a world leader in car cleaning kit and in particular, organic waxes such as carnauba wax that have made them renowned worldwide.
Car Cleaning Kit FAQs
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